Courting the Press

Reporter Matt photographing picturesque rapids on my creek

As a non-profit organization, we need as much publicity as possible.  So, when a reporter called and told me that he wanted to do a feature on our organization for a news weekly, I jumped at the opportunity.  The reporter came to my office and we talked for about a half-hour, then we went for a walk through the preserve.  I've hardly been out on the grounds during the last two months.

Partial ice-out on the marsh

Historic stone-arch bridge (1817) under repair since November 19, 2014

My creek, upstream of the historic bridge

This strikingly shadowed American beech caught my attention

Reporter Matt capturing images for his news piece

My creek at its most dramatic

The reach of the creek locally known as "The Falls"

These images were taken during our walk on Wednesday afternoon, March 18.  On Friday, March 20, we got four inches of heavy, wet snow.

Winter Weeds in Snow

On Sunday morning, February 22, 2015, the northern Piedmont received two inches of snow followed by a bit of freezing rain that left a glaze over everything outdoors.  As I walked to open the driveway gate to my preserve, some of the winter weeds slightly encased in ice struck me as having a particularly "Japanese" gestalt.  I hope you agree (and enjoy)!  The images are better enlarged.

Bad Timing

My staff and I spotted the "first" groundhog of the year today.  The groundhog's right on schedule for leaving its winter burrow, but the weather is hardly cooperating.  We had temperatures in the upper 30s F this afternoon (the high temperature "should" be in the mid-40s), but it's been so cold for so long that the ground is frozen solid to a depth of at least six inches, and there is absolutely nothing green for the poor groundhog to eat.  And, we're not going to get above freezing for at least another two days, so there's not much green on this poor woodchuck's horizon.  Maybe it'll find some of the birdseed we distribute so liberally.

Spring in Winter

We're now at Friday at the end of Kali's spring break week.  (For that matter, it's my spring break week, too, because I'm adjunct faculty at one of the universities in Philadelphia.)  In prior years, Kali and I often traveled during this week, but this year we decided to stay in town because the weather has been so bad and unpredictable that we didn't want to risk losing power (and heat), only to return home to find burst pipes (a very distinct possibility this year).  And, we didn't look forward to flight interruptions because of inclement weather.

Because we stayed in town, we decided to spend Wednesday afternoon and evening at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest and oldest flower show in North America.  While we had pretty much made up our minds last weekend to attend the show, the show organizers on Monday made the unprecedented decision to offer a significant reduction in the entrance fee because meteorologists had forecast the worst snowstorm of the season for Sunday night into Monday, a storm which - fortunately - veered to our south and only brought us 1-1/2 inches of snow instead of the forecast 12 inches.  The discount offer, which was good for any day of the show but had to be purchased on Monday, clinched our decision.

The theme of this year's show was ARTiculture (art + horticulture).  Most years, the displays seem to have only the most tenuous connection to the theme, but this year the designers really took it to heart.  My favorite display is depicted in the image at the top of the post - a backyard garden incorporating sculpture and plant material.  The design is bold and has clean, distinct, uncluttered lines.  Exactly to my taste.

Another of my favorites was a joint effort between the Brandywine Conservancy, a regional land trust, and a garden designer.  The Brandywine valley, located 20 miles west of Philadelphia, was the home of the Wyeth family, including such well-known artists as Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth.  The conservancy's exhibit incorporated a facsimile of a portion of Andrew Wyeth's painting studio into native woodlands.  The design also included the most natural-looking artificial stream I have ever seen in my life.  Another impressive achievement.       

Andrew Wyeth's studio in the woods

Native woodland garden outside Wyeth's studio

Much less ambitious but equally delightful was a small display created by the Hudson Valley Seed Library.  This non-profit organization is dedicated to saving, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds.  In addition - and this is the good part - they sponsor a contest for artists to create paintings based on the heirloom flowers and fruits, and then the Seed Library incorporates the winning artwork into the seed packets they offer for sale.  The Library's display included both the winning artwork and the seed packets that resulted from that artwork.  What a great idea!  The Library had also set-up a booth in the vendors' area where they were selling the seeds.  I bought some basil, chard, and Tiny Tim Tomato seeds. 

Hudson Valley Seed Library's art-inspired seed packs

Shades of Blue

When I took these images yesterday afternoon, I had originally intended to entitle this post "Tawny," but in looking over the images, and others, below, I decided to call it "Shades of Blue" instead.

Kali and I haven't walked in "my" preserve for several weeks because it's been so muddy.  But yesterday Kali didn't have to go to work, the skies were cloudless, and the paths had dried enough so that Kali wouldn't complain about muddy shoes, so we hit the trails for a late afternoon walk.

We've hardly had any snow this winter, so most of the native grasses are still standing tall and beautiful.

Most of the early spring birds have arrived now - especially flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds and a few American Woodcocks.  Just last Sunday, a pair of American Kestrels hovered over the fields in search of rodents hiding in the high grass.  Though we may be in for a snowstorm tomorrow, spring's approach is unmistakable.

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Last weekend (Saturday, February 23), Kali and I drove 2-1/2 hours to Baltimore for the American Craft Council Show at the Baltimore Convention Center.  This is the largest fine art craft show in the country (650 craft artisans), and it was spectacular (as always).  Since Kali and I are in our de-accession stage of life, we only bought one decorative piece for the wall, a piece of jewelry for Kali, and a holiday gift for Kali's boss.  We look at the show as if we were going to a craft museum, since all of the work is of the highest quality.

In the "blue" motif - a detail from "Aspens," an etched and illuminated glass wall sculpture

And, finally, just last Saturday evening, we attended a performance by Parson Dance, one of our favorite contemporary dance companies.  The image below is from the first piece that the company performed, "In the Round" (2012), and it was breathtaking.  Even when the dances weren't as spectacular as "Round," the dancers were so perfect that they elevated the works to high art. Bravisimo!